Lifter plate assembly for a vehicle window regulator

ABSTRACT

In an aspect, a lifter plate is provided that is capable of a relatively strong connection to a vehicle window. The lifter plate includes a lifter plate body including a first side wall and a second side wall configured to receive a vehicle window therebetween, a window holding member positionable in a locking position to prevent the withdrawal of the vehicle window from between the first and second side walls, and a locking member positioned to prevent the movement of the window holding member out of the locking position in the event of a force urging the withdrawal of the vehicle window from between first and second side walls.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/599,162 filed Nov. 6, 2009, which is national phase entryapplication of PCT/CA2008/000892, filed May 9, 2008, which claims thebenefit of: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/916,860, filed May 9,2007 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/968,364, filed Aug. 28,2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to window regulator assemblies forvehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle doors typically have windows that can be opened and closed.Within the door, there is typically a window regulator assemblyincluding a carrier, a motor, first and second rails and two windowregulator lifter plate assemblies which are driven along the rails bythe motor.

There are several problems, however, with these window regulatorassemblies. For example, in situations where the window regulator lifterplate assemblies are driven by cables connected to the motor, there arepulleys that are used to effect a change in direction for the cables.Due to the forces involved in moving the window, however, the jointbetween the pulleys and the carrier may be subject to premature failure.

Another problem resides in the configuration of the lifter plateassemblies themselves. Typically, the lifter plate assembly receives thewindow and locks the window in place to prevent unintentional withdrawalof the window from the lifter plate assembly during use. However, theforce required to insert a window into the lifter plate assembly isrelatively high.

Another problem is that the window regulator lifter plate assemblies areprone to binding or sticking as they move along the rails. To overcomethis, vehicle manufacturers have resorted to relatively large motors todrive the window regulator lifter plate assemblies. However, the largemotors increase the overall cost of the window regulator assemblies.

Another problem is that, when a door handle assembly is mounted to thecarrier, the door handle itself can swing during transport or duringinstallation of the carrier in a door assembly, which can cause the doorhandle to catch on something, potentially causing damage.

In general it is advantageous to reduce the cost of any assembly that isincorporated into a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention is directed to a combination of acarrier and a pulley assembly. The pulley assembly includes a pulley anda pulley bearing member that has a pulley bending load bearing surfacethat is conical and that mates with a carrier bending load bearingsurface that is inner-conical.

In a particular embodiment of the first aspect, the pulley assemblyincludes a pulley having an associated pulley rotation axis, a pulleybearing member and a pulley fastener. The pulley fastener connects thepulley assembly to the carrier. The pulley bearing member includes apulley assembly bending load bearing surface. The carrier is mountableto a vehicle. The carrier includes a pulley fastener mount for receivingthe pulley fastener. The carrier further includes a carrier bending loadbearing surface that engages the pulley bending load bearing surface.The pulley assembly bending load bearing surface is generally conicalabout the pulley rotation axis. The carrier bending load bearing surfaceis generally inner-conical about the pulley rotation axis.

In a second aspect, the lifter plate invention is directed to a lifterplate that is capable of a relatively strong connection to a vehiclewindow. The lifter plate includes a lifter plate body including a firstside wall and a second side wall configured to receive a vehicle windowtherebetween, a window holding member positionable in a locking positionto prevent the withdrawal of the vehicle window from between the firstand second side walls, and a locking member positioned to prevent themovement of the window holding member out of the locking position in theevent of a force urging the withdrawal of the vehicle window frombetween first and second side walls.

In a particular embodiment of the second aspect, the lifter plateincludes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a windowpass-through member. The first and second side walls are connectedtogether proximate their respective bottoms, and are configured toreceive a vehicle window therebetween. The window pass-through member isconfigured to pass-through a locking aperture of a vehicle window. Thewindow pass-through member has a connected end and a free end. Theconnected end is connected to the first side wall. The second side wallincludes a free end vertical limit surface that is positioned to engagethe free end to limit upward movement of the free end. A feature on thewindow pass-through member prevents rotation away from the verticallimit surface when a force is applied to remove the lifter plate fromthe window.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the lifter plate includes afirst side wall, a second side wall, and a window pass-through member.The first and second side walls are connected together proximate theirrespective bottoms, and are configured to receive a vehicle window therebetween. The window pass-through member is configured to pass-through alocking aperture of a vehicle window. The window pass-through member ispermitted to pivot such that as the window is inserted into the lifterplate, the window pass-through member is rotated into a locking positionwithin the lifter plate. In the locking position, the windowpass-through member is supported against upward vertical movement andtherefore prevents removal of the window from the lifter plate. Thewindow pass-through member can be un-locked from the lifter plate forservice requirements.

In a third aspect, the lifter plate invention is directed to a vehiclewindow lifter plate that has a reduced tendency to bind when in use. Thelifter plate has lateral engagement surfaces that are for engagementwith lateral guide surfaces and has cable mounts for receiving drivecables. The cable mounts are positioned laterally between the lateralengagement surfaces.

In a particular embodiment of the third aspect, the lifter plate has alifter plate body having a longitudinal axis and having a first lateralguide surface engager and a second lateral guide surface engager. Thefirst and second lateral guide surface engagers are parallel andlaterally spaced from each other, and are configured to engage first andsecond lateral guide surfaces for guiding movement of the lifter platein a longitudinal direction. The lifter plate body includes a firstcable mount and a second cable mount. The first and second cable mountsare positioned laterally between the first and second lateral guidesurface engagers.

In a fourth aspect, the lifter plate invention is directed to a vehiclewindow lifter plate. The vehicle window lifter plate has lateralengagement surfaces that are for engagement with lateral guide surfaces.The lateral engagement surfaces are biased against the lateral guidesurfaces, thereby giving the lifter plate the capability to accommodatelateral forces with a reduced tendency to bind.

In a particular embodiment of the fourth aspect, the lifter plate is formovement of a vehicle window along a first lateral guide surface and asecond lateral guide surface. The first and second lateral guidesurfaces are generally parallel and laterally spaced from each other andface in opposite directions. The lifter plate includes a lifter platebody, a first lateral guide surface engager and a first lateral guidesurface engager biasing member. The lifter plate body has a longitudinalaxis. The first and second lateral guide surface engagers are connectedto the lifter plate body. The first and second lateral guide surfaceengagers are parallel and laterally spaced from each other. The firstlateral guide surface engager biasing member is positioned to bias thefirst lateral guide surface engager towards the first lateral guidesurface.

In a fifth aspect, the invention is directed to carrier for a windowregulator assembly. The carrier includes at least one integral rail thatis for guiding the movement of a window lifter plate.

In a particular embodiment of the fifth aspect, the carrier includes acarrier body and at least one rail. The carrier body is configured formounting to a vehicle door. The at least one rail guides the movement ofa lifter plate assembly, and is integral with the carrier body.

In a sixth aspect, the invention is directed to a carrier for use in avehicle door assembly for a vehicle, wherein the carrier has a carrierseal that is co-molded with the carrier body.

In a particular embodiment of the sixth aspect, the carrier includes acarrier body that is configured for mounting to a vehicle door, and acarrier seal connected to the carrier body for sealing against acomponent of the door assembly. The carrier seal is co-molded with thecarrier body.

In a seventh aspect, the invention is directed to a wiring harness clipfor use in a vehicle. The wiring harness clip has two clip elements thattogether define a wiring harness retaining aperture in a longitudinaldirection and an inlet thereto. The wiring harness inlet is canted to anon-zero angle relative to the longitudinal direction. The perpendicularspacing between the two clip elements is larger than the distancebetween them in the transverse direction.

In a particular embodiment of the seventh aspect, the wiring harnessclip includes a first clip element and a second clip element. The firstand second clip elements together define a longitudinal axis, andtogether define a wiring harness retaining aperture configured to hold awiring harness along the longitudinal axis. The first clip element has afirst clip element inlet defining surface. The second clip element has asecond clip element inlet defining surface. The first and second clipelement inlet defining surfaces are parallel and extend at a non-zeroangle relative to the longitudinal axis. The first and second clipelement inlet defining surfaces together define an inlet into the wiringharness retaining aperture. A perpendicular distance between the firstand second clip element inlet defining surfaces is larger than atransverse distance between the first and second clip element inletdefining surfaces.

In an eighth aspect, the invention is directed to a carrier for avehicle door, wherein the carrier has a carrier body and a mountintegrally connected with the carrier body for a door handle.

In a ninth aspect, the invention is directed to a tensioner for a windowregulator system for a vehicle door assembly. The tensioner isconfigured to maintain tension in a length of drive cable between adrive motor and a first lifter plate and to maintain tension in a lengthof drive cable between the drive motor and a second lifter plate.

In a particular embodiment of the ninth aspect, the tensioner includes atensioner body pivotally connected to a stationary element of thevehicle door assembly. The tensioner body has a first cable engagementmember and a second cable engagement member. The first cable engagementmember bends a first length of cable between the drive motor and thefirst lifter plate. The second cable engagement member bends a secondlength of cable between the drive motor and the second lifter plate. Ina preferred embodiment, the tensioner equalizes the tension in the firstand second lengths of cable.

In the tenth aspect, the invention is directed to a window regulatorsystem for a vehicle door assembly, wherein a down stop system isprovided by engagement of a down stop on a carrier with a down stopengagement member on a drive cable.

In a particular embodiment of the ninth aspect, the window regulatorsystem includes a drive motor, a first lifter plate and a second lifterplate, a carrier for holding the drive motor, the first and secondlifter plates, a set of drive cables connecting the drive motor and thefirst and second lifter plates, a down stop that is connected to thecarrier, and a down stop engagement member that is connected to one ofthe drive cables. The down stop engagement member is positioned toengage the down stop and prevent further travel of the drive cable whenthe first and second lifter plates reach a selected position.

In an eleventh aspect, the invention is directed to a lifter plate thatis capable of a relatively strong connection to a vehicle window. Thelifter plate has a window holding member that locks against an edgefeature such as an undercut on the window to prevent withdrawal of thewindow from the lifter plate.

In a particular embodiment of the eleventh aspect, the lifter plateincludes a first side wall, a second side wall and two window lockingfeatures. The first and second side walls are connected togetherproximate their respective bottoms and sides, and are configured toreceive a vehicle window therebetween. The window has an undercut on itstwo side edges. The window locking features are configured to engage theundercuts of the window when the window is inserted into the lifterplate. Side members on the lifter plate prevent the locking featuresfrom moving generally perpendicularly to the extraction direction of thewindow from the lifter plate. The locking features may be mounted to thelifter plate with flexible members that permit the locking feature toflex generally perpendicularly to the glass surface and allow forinsertion of the window into the lifter plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example only withreference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window regulator assembly inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a magnified perspective view of a portion of the windowregulator assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a magnified perspective view of a portion of a carrier and ispart of the window regulator assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a magnified perspective view of a pulley assembly that is partof the window regulator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a magnified sectional perspective view of the pulley assemblyshown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a magnified sectional perspective view of the pulley assemblyshown in FIG. 4 mounted to the portion of the carrier shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a magnified perspective view of an alternative structure forthe portion of the carrier shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a magnified sectional side view of an alternative pulleyassembly mounted to the alternative carrier structure shown in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are magnified perspective views of a lifter plate thatis part of the window regulator assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lifter plate shown in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b;

FIG. 11 is another magnified perspective view of the lifter plate shownin FIGS. 9 a and 9 b;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view along section line 13-13 shown in FIG. 10;

FIGS. 13 a and 13 b are perspective views of another lifter plate thatis part of the window regulator assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a magnified sectional view of the lifter plate shown in FIGS.9 a and 9 b, illustrating the engagement of the lifter plate with thevehicle window;

FIG. 15 is a further magnified sectional side view of the lifter plateshown in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b;

FIG. 16 is a magnified perspective view of an alternative lifter platefor use with the window regulator assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the window regulator assembly shown inFIG. 1, illustrating wiring harness clips in accordance with anotheraspect of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a magnified perspective view of one of the wiring harnessclips shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of the wiring harness clip shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an elevation view of the wiring harness clip shown in FIG.18, showing a wiring harness captured therein;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the wiring harness clip shown in FIG.18, with a wiring harness at a first stage of mounting therein;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the wiring harness clip shown in FIG.18, with the wiring harness at a second stage of mounting therein;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the wiring harness clip shown in FIG.18, with the wiring harness at a near final stage of mounting therein;

FIG. 24 is a magnified perspective view of a portion of a carrier shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the carrier shown in FIG. 1, withcomponents mounted thereto removed to highlight other aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 26 is a magnified view of a portion of the carrier shown in FIG.25, with a component mounted thereto;

FIG. 27 is a magnified view of another portion of the carrier shown inFIG. 25, to illustrate another aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a window regulator system having a downstop system in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 29 is a magnified perspective view of the down stop system shown inFIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a window regulator system including atensioner in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 31 is a magnified perspective view of the tensioner shown in FIG.30;

FIG. 32 is perspective view of a single-cable window regulator system inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a magnified perspective view of a lifter plate shown in FIG.32;

FIG. 34 is a magnified sectional perspective view of the lifter plateshown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is another magnified sectional perspective view of the lifterplate shown in FIG. 33, illustration a first stage of installation of acable into the lifter plate;

FIG. 36 is another magnified sectional perspective view of the lifterplate shown in FIG. 33, illustration a second stage of installation ofthe cable into the lifter plate;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of a lifter plate in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a lifter plate in accordance with yetanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 39 is a sectional side view of the lifter plate shown in FIG. 38;

FIGS. 40 a, 40 b and 40 c are sectional perspective views illustratingthe insertion of a vehicle window into the lifter plate shown in FIG.38;

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of a lifter plate in accordance with yetanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 42 a, 42 b, 42 c and 42 d are sectional perspective viewsillustrating the insertion of a vehicle window into the lifter plateshown in FIG. 41;

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a lifter plate in accordance with yetanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of the lifter plate shown in FIG. 43 witha vehicle window inserted therein; and

FIG. 45 is a sectional side view of a prior art pulley and carrier,illustration the transmission of force therebetween.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows a window regulator assembly 10for moving a vehicle window 11 up and down in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. The window regulator assembly 10includes a drive motor 12, a set of drive cables 14, including a firstdrive cable 14 a, a second drive cable 14 b and a third drive cable 14c, a carrier 15, which includes a first set of rails 16 and second setof rails 18, a first lifter plate 20 and a second lifter plate 22.

The drive motor 12 drives vertical movement of the first and secondlifter plates 20 and 22 on the set of rails 16 and 18 respectively bymeans of the drive cables 14.

The carrier 15 is itself mountable to the interior of a door assembly(not shown) that forms part of a vehicle. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the carrier 15 is a structural element, and is configured towithstand loads incurred during operation of window regulator assembly10. The carrier 15 includes a carrier body 24 and the aforementionedfirst and second set of rails 16 and 18. The first set of rails 16 mayinclude a first rail 16 a and a second rail 16 b. The first rail 16 a isintegrally mounted to the carrier body 24. The first rail 16 a is anelongate rectangular structure. The second rail 16 b may be similar tothe first rail 16 a, and may be an elongate rectangular structure thatis integral with the carrier body 24. The first and second rails 16 aand 16 b may be parallel to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the firstand second rails 16 a and 16 b may each generally extend in a plane thatis generally perpendicular to the surface of the carrier body 24.

It has been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the first set of rails 16 toinclude two rails (ie. rails 16 a and 16 b). It is alternativelypossible for the first set of rails to include as little as a singlerail (eg. rail 16 a), or a greater number of rails, such as three rails.

The second set of rails 18 may be similar in quantity and in structureto the first set of rails 16. By configuring the first and second setsof rails 16 and 18 to extend generally perpendicularly to the surface ofthe carrier body 24, the carrier 15 may be more easily manufactured by amolding process, such as an injection molding process.

Reference is made to FIG. 3, which shows a pulley assembly mount 26 thatis part of the carrier body 24. The pulley assembly mount 26 isconfigured to receive a pulley assembly 28 (FIG. 4), that is used toeffect a change in direction in one of the drive cables 14 (see FIG. 6).

Referring to FIG. 4, the pulley assembly 28 includes a pulley fastener30, a pulley bearing member 32, and a pulley 34.

Referring to FIG. 6, the pulley fastener 30 cooperates with a pulleyfastener mount 36 on the carrier body 24 to hold the pulley assembly 28on the carrier 16. The pulley fastener 30 may be any suitable type offastener such as, for example, a threaded fastener.

The pulley bearing member 32 is retained by the pulley fastener 30 inengagement with the carrier body 24. The pulley bearing member 32includes a pulley assembly bending load bearing surface 38 which may bea generally conical surface. The pulley assembly bending load bearingsurface 38 mates with a carrier bending load bearing surface 40 that ispart of the pulley assembly mount 26. By providing coned bending loadbearing surfaces 38 and 40 on the pulley bearing member 32 and in thepulley assembly mount 26, the loads incurred during operation of thewindow regulator assembly 10 are spread over a larger surface area thanoccurs in some prior art devices. For example, in some prior artpulleys, the bending load exerted by a drive cable on a pulley passesthrough the pulley, and in turn from the pulley to the corner betweenthe pulley fastener and the pulley fastener aperture in the carrier, asillustrated by the prior art pulley 42 and the prior art pulley fastener44 and the carrier 46 in FIG. 45. The cone angle between the pulleyassembly bending load bearing surface 38 and the axis about which thepulley rotates, which is the pulley rotation axis 48 shown in FIG. 6,may be any suitable angle such as, for example, approximately 45degrees. Similarly, the cone angle of the carrier bending load bearingsurface 40 would be approximately the same angle as that of the pulleyassembly bending load bearing surface 38.

The pulley 34 includes a pulley thrust bearing surface 50 that engages acarrier thrust bearing surface 51 during rotation of the pulley 34. Inorder to reduce the frictional drag between the pulley thrust bearingsurface 50 and the carrier thrust bearing surface 51, the pulley thrustbearing surface 50 may have a relatively small radial width. This ispossible in situations where thrust loads are not expected to besubstantial.

The interface between the rotating portion of the pulley assembly 28 andthe fixed portion occurs at the pulley rotational bearing surface, shownat 52, and the pulley bearing member rotational bearing surface, shownat 53. It will be noted that the aforementioned interface is movedrelatively far out radially from the center of rotation of the pulley34. This reduces, among other things, the moment that is applied fromthe pulley to the pulley bearing member 32 and to the pulley fastener30, in the plane of rotation of the pulley 34, during operation of thewindow regulator assembly 10 (FIG. 1).

Referring to FIG. 4, the pulley 34 includes notches 54 that can be usedwhen partially mounting a cable 14, as part of a technique forinstalling a cable onto the pulley 34.

The pulley fastener 30 and the pulley bearing member 32 may bemanufactured from any suitable materials, such as a suitable steel. Itwill be understood that it is optionally possible for the pulleyfastener 30 and the pulley bearing member 32 to be manufactured as asingle integral component.

The pulley 34 may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as,for example, a polymeric material, such as Delrin™.

Reference is made to FIGS. 7 and 8, which shows a pulley assembly mount55 and a pulley assembly 56 in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention. The pulley assembly mount 55 may be similar to thepulley assembly mount 26 (FIG. 3), with one difference being that thepulley assembly mount 55 has a carrier bending load bearing surface 58that is a solid surface, instead of the carrier bending load bendingsurface 40 shown in FIG. 6, which is formed from a matrix of structuralribs.

Referring to FIG. 8, the pulley assembly 56 differs principally from thepulley assembly 28 (FIG. 6), in that the pulley fastener 60 shown inFIG. 8 is not a threaded fastener, and instead pushes in to retain thepulley bearing member 62 from the other side of a passed throughaperture shown at 64.

Reference is made to FIGS. 9 a and 9 b, which show the lifter plate 20.The lifter plate 20 includes a lifter plate body 65 with a first sidewall 66 and a second side wall 68. The first and second side walls 66and 68 are configured to receive the vehicle window 11 therebetween (seeFIG. 14). As further shown in FIG. 14, the lifter plate 20 includes awindow holding member 76 for holding the window 11 in position in thelifter plate 20 thereby preventing the inadvertent withdrawal of thevehicle window 11 from the lifter plate 20. The window holding member 76may pass through a locking aperture 78 in the vehicle window 11 and maythus be referred to in such embodiments as a window pass-through member76. The window pass-through member 76 has an attached end 80 where it isconnected to the first side wall 66 and a free end 82. At the attachedend 80, the window pass-through member 76 is connected to a biasingmember 84 which in turn is connected to the first side wall 66. Thewindow pass-through member 76 further includes a deflection surface 86(see FIG. 15) that is sloped downwardly toward the free end 82. When thevehicle window 11 is introduced between the first and second side walls66 and 68, the bottom of the vehicle window shown at 88 engages thedeflection surface 86 thereby pushing the window pass-through member 76out of the way temporarily. As the vehicle window 11 is furtherintroduced into the space between the first and second side walls 66 and68 the window pass-through member 76 is biased by the biasing member 84to return to its original position, which it can do when the lockingaperture 78 passes in front of it. When the window pass-through member76 returns to its original position through the locking aperture 78 itlocks the vehicle window 11 to the lifter plate 20.

Referring to FIG. 15, the second side wall 68 includes a free endvertical limit surface 90 that is positioned to limit the upwardmovement of the free end 82 of the window pass-through member 76 in theevent that the vehicle window 11 is attempted to be withdrawn verticallyfrom between the first and second side walls 66 and 68. Additionally,the first side wall 66 may optionally include a connected end verticallimit surface 92 that is positioned to limit the vertical movement ofthe connected end 80 of the window pass-through member 76, in the eventthat the vehicle window 11 is attempted to be withdrawn vertically fromthe between the first and second side walls 66 and 68. Providing thefree end vertical limit surface 90 reduces the bending moment that wouldbe exerted on the window pass-through member 76 by the vehicle window 11in the event that the vehicle window 11 is attempted to be withdrawnvertically from between the first and second side walls 66 and 68.Providing the connected end vertical limit surface 92 relieves thebiasing member 84 from having to resist vertical movement of theconnected end 80 in the event of an attempted withdrawal vertically ofthe vehicle window 11 from between the first and second side walls 66and 68. This, in turn, permits the biasing member 84 to be configured tohave relatively low resistance to flexion. Reducing the resistance toflexion of the biasing member 84 thereby facilitates insertion of thewindow bottom 88 (FIG. 14) past the window pass-through member 76,during the initial insertion of the vehicle window 11 between the firstand second side walls 66 and 68 into position between the first andsecond side walls 66 and 68. By contrast, some lifter plates of theprior art rely solely on the resistance of a biasing member to prevent avehicle window from deflecting a window pass-through member upwards outof the way during an attempted vertical withdrawal of the vehicle windowfrom the lifter plate.

As a further measure of security, a horizontal limit surface 94 may beprovided on the first side wall 66 to prevent the inadvertent retractionhorizontally of the window pass-through member 76 during a withdrawalvertically of the vehicle window 11 from the lifter plate 20. Thehorizontal limit surface 94 on the first side wall 66 is positioned toengage a corresponding horizontal limit surface 96 on the windowpass-through member 76 in the event that the window pass-through member76 is pulled upwards from its original position shown in FIGS. 14 and15, but does not engage the horizontal limit surface 96 on the windowpass-through member 76 in the event that the window pass-through member76 is moved downwards. Thus, during insertion of the vehicle window 11,the window pass-through member 76 can retract, but in the event ofupward movement of the vehicle window 11 the window pass-through member76 is prevented from being retracted horizontally.

Reference is made to FIG. 38, which shows a lifter plate 400 inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The lifterplate 400 includes a different structure for locking the window 11therein, than the lifter plate 20. The lifter plate 400 includes alifter plate body 402 having a first side wall 404 and a second sidewall 406 (FIG. 39), which are joined at their respective bottoms. Awindow pass-through member 408 has a connected end 410 and a free end412 and is configured to pass through the locking aperture 78 of thewindow 11.

The connected end 410 may be connected to the first side wall 404 bymeans of a biasing member 414 that biases the window pass-through member408 towards the locking position shown in FIG. 39. A locking member 416prevents the window pass-through member 408 from being pushed out of theway by the window 11 if the window 11 is urged to pull out from thelifter plate 400 for some reason. The locking member 416, however,permits the window pass-through member 408 to be pushed out of the wayduring entry of the window 11 into the lifter plate 400. FIGS. 40 a, 40b and 40 c illustrate the insertion of the window 11 into the lifterplate 400.

Reference is made to FIG. 41, which shows a lifter plate 420 inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The lifterplate 420 includes a lifter plate body 422 having a first side wall 424and a second side wall 426 joined at their respective bottoms. The firstside wall 424 has an aperture 428 therethrough and a pivot shaft 430(FIG. 42 a) that extends across the aperture 428. A window holdingmember 432 is a separate member that is removably and pivotably mountedonto the pivot shaft 430.

The window holding member 432 includes a window pass-through member 434that passes through the locking aperture 78 of the window 11 to lock thewindow 11 in place in the lifter plate 420. The window holding member432 further includes a driving surface 440, which is engaged by thewindow 11 during insertion of the window 11 into the lifter plate 420.When the window 11 engages the driving surface 440 and continues to movedownward, the motion of the window 11 causes the window holding member432 to rotate (clockwise in the view shown in FIGS. 42 a-d) from awindow-receiving position shown in FIG. 42 a towards a window holdingposition shown in FIG. 42 d. The first side wall 424 further includes avertical limit surface 442 that is positioned to be proximate a verticallimit surface 444 on the window holding member 432 when the windowholding member 432 is in the window locking position. In the event thatthe window 11 is attempted to be withdrawn from the lifter plate 420,the vertical limit surface 442 engages the window holding member 432 toprevent vertical movement thereof. Additionally, the window holdingmember 432 includes a locking member 446 that engages a locking member448 on the first side wall 424 to prevent the window holding member 432from being rotated out of the way by the window 11 during an eventwherein the window 11 is attempted to be withdrawn from the lifter plate420. The locking member 446 may be biased by a resilient arm 450 towardsa locking position (FIGS. 42 a-d). In the event that the window 11 needsto be withdrawn from the lifter plate 420 for service or maintenance theservice person can, using a suitable tool, depress the locking member446 so that it clears the locking member 448. The service person canlift the window 11 upwards while assisting the rotation of the windowholding member 432 out of the way (counter-clockwise in the views shownin FIGS. 42 a-d).

A large aperture 452 (FIG. 41) is provided in the second side wall 426so as to permit the window holding member 432 to be installed on thepivot shaft 430 (FIG. 42 a) prior to insertion of the window 11 into thelifter plate 420.

Reference is made to FIG. 43, which shows a lifter plate 460 inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The lifterplate 460 is configured to engage a window 462 that does not possess alocking aperture, but instead possesses undercuts 464 along opposingsides 466 of an engagement feature 468.

The lifter plate 460 includes a lifter plate body 470 having a firstside wall 472 and a second side wall 474. A pair of window holdingmembers 476 are provided on the first side wall 472 and engage theundercuts 464 to prevent withdrawal of the window 462 once the window462 has been inserted into position in the lifter plate 460. The windowholding members 476 are biased towards a locking position (FIG. 43) bybiasing members 478. The biasing members 478 may be pushed outwards fromthe plane of the first side wall 472 against the urging of the biasingmembers 478 by the window 462 as it slides therepast. Once the window462 is in position, the biasing members 478 urge the window holdingmembers 476 back to their locking positions so that they are positionedto engage the undercuts 464 (FIG. 44).

Once in position in the lifter plate 460, if the window 462 is urged towithdraw from the lifter plate 460, the undercuts 464 urge the windowholding members 476 outwards in directions that are substantiallyparallel to the plane of the first side wall 472. A pair of windowholding member locking surfaces 480 that are present on the first sidewall 472 prevent the window holding members 476 from deflecting out ofthe way. The first and second window holding members 476 thus hold thewindow 462 in place.

It will be noted that, while the embodiment shown in FIGS. 43 and 44includes a pair of window holding members 476 which engage a pair ofundercuts 464, it is alternatively possible to provide more or fewerundercuts and corresponding window holding members 476. It is possiblefor example, to include a single undercut 464 and a single windowholding member 476.

Reference is made to FIG. 10. The lifter plate 20 has a longitudinalaxis Alonglp. The lifter plate body 65 includes a first forward lateralguide surface engager 98, a first rearward lateral guide surface engager99, a second forward lateral guide surface engager 100 and a secondrearward lateral guide surface engager 101. The first lateral guidesurface engagers 98 and 99 and the second lateral guide surface engagers100 and 101 are positioned to engage a first lateral guide surface 102and a second lateral guide surface 104 respectively, for guidingmovement of the lifter plate 20 in the longitudinal direction. The firstand second lateral guide surfaces 102 and 104 are surfaces on the firstand second rails 16 a and 16 b. The first and second lateral guidesurfaces 102 and 104 are parallel to each other, and face in oppositedirections to each other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the firstand second lateral guide surfaces 102 and 104 are the outer sidesurfaces of the rails 16 a and 16 b. In an alternative embodiment,however, the inner side surfaces of the rails 16 a and 16 b, shown at106 and 108 respectively, could act as first and second lateral guidesurfaces, and the first and second lateral guide surface engagers 98 and100 could be positioned to engage them, instead of engaging the outerside surfaces 102 and 104.

The lifter plate 20 may include a first forward lateral guide surfaceengager biasing member 110, a first rearward lateral guide surfaceengager biasing member 112, a second forward lateral guide surfaceengager biasing member 114 and a second rearward lateral guide surfaceengager biasing member 116, each of which is positioned to bias itsassociated lateral guide surface engager 98, 99, 100 or 101 towards thelateral guide surface 102 or 104 associated therewith.

The biasing members 110, 112, 114 and 116 permit the forward andrearward portions of the lifter plate 20, shown at 118 and 120respectively to accommodate some movement in the lateral direction, inthe event of forces urging the lifter plate 20 in that manner, whilemaintaining engagement with the first and second lateral guide surfaces102 and 104. By permitting the lifter plate 20 to accommodate suchmovement, the likelihood of binding of the lifter plate 20 during itstravel along the rails 16 a and 16 b is reduced, in the event of unevenforces on the lifter plate 20 during use. By reducing the likelihood ofbinding during use, BSR (buzz, squeak and rattle) that may be associatedwith operation of the lifter plate 20 may be reduced. Additionally, inembodiments wherein the likelihood of binding is sufficiently low, thedrive motor 12 (FIG. 1) that can be provided may be relatively lessexpensive than would otherwise be required.

It has been shown in FIG. 10 for the lifter plate 20 to include aforward set of lateral guide surface engagers including first and secondforward lateral guide surface engagers 98 and 100 and a rearward set oflateral guide surface engagers including first and second rearwardlateral guide surface engagers 99 and 101. It is alternatively possiblefor the lifter plate 20 to include more or fewer sets of lateral guidesurface engagers and associated biasing members. For example, the lifterplate 20 could include a single set of first and second lateral guidesurface engagers. By having two sets of lateral guide surface engagers(ie. the forward set of lateral guide surface engagers 98 and 100 andthe rearward set of lateral guide surface engagers 99 and 101), theoverall surface area of contact between the lifter plate 20 and thelateral guide surfaces 102 and 104 is lower than would be necessary ifthe lifter plate 20 only had a single first lateral guide surfaceengager and a single second lateral guide surface engager. This isbecause if only a single first lateral guide surface engager and asingle second lateral guide surface engager were provided, one or bothof them would have to be relatively long to stabilize the lifter plate20 and prevent it from rotating in the lateral/longitudinal plane (ie.the plane that is generally parallel to the first and second side walls66 and 68) due to any uneven forces that arise during use. Having areduced area of contact between the lifter plate 20 and the lateralguide surfaces 102 and 104 reduces the frictional drag on the lifterplate 20 during its travel up and down the rails 16 a and 16 b. Thereduced frictional drag, in turn, can reduce BSR that may be associatedwith the lifter plate 20. Additionally, the reduced frictional drag mayresult in sufficiently lower load on the drive motor 12 (FIG. 1), that aless expensive motor, that may be, for example, less powerful and/orsmaller, may be used in the window regulator assembly 10.

It has been shown for the right side lateral guide surface engagers (ie.the first side lateral guide surface engagers 98 and 99) to includefirst lateral guide surface engager biasing members 110 and 112, and forthe left side lateral guide surface engagers (ie. the second lateralguide surface engagers 100 and 101) to include first lateral guidesurface engager biasing members 114 and 116. It is alternativelypossible, however, for only one side to have biasing members on thelateral guide surface engagers. For example, the second lateral guidesurface engagers 100 and 101 could alternatively be fixedly mounted tothe lifter plate body 65, so that only the first lateral guide surfaceengagers 98 and 99 have biasing members associated therewith. Havingforward and rearward biasing members on one side only, eg. the rightside, shown at 122, still permit the lifter plate 20 to accommodateuneven forces exerted thereon during use, that might urge the lifterplate 20 to rotate in the lateral/longitudinal plane. It will beunderstood that it is possible instead to have the single forward andrearward biasing members on the left side, shown at 124. It will furtherbe understood that, in an embodiment wherein there is only one firstlateral guide surface engager and one second lateral guide surfaceengager, it is optionally possible to fixedly connect one of them to thelifter plate body 20 and to provide a biasing member for the other.

Referring to FIG. 2, in addition to being guided with lateral guidesurfaces 102 and 104, the lifter plate 20 is also guided by amovement-plane guide surface 126, which may be made up of a firstwindow-movement-plane guide surface portion 126 a and a secondwindow-movement-plane guide surface portion 126 b. The guide surface 126is referred to as a window-movement-plane guide surface 126 because itassists in defining the plane of movement of the vehicle window 11.

Instead of the two window-movement-plane guide surface portions 126 aand 126 b being separate from each other, it is alternatively possibleto configure the rails 16 a and 16 b to instead be a single wide railwith a single contiguous window-movement-plane guide surface 126.

Referring to FIG. 11, to engage the window-movement-plane guide surface126 (FIG. 2), the lifter plate 20 may further include a first forwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 128, a first rearwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 130, a second forwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 132 and a second rearwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 134. The first forward andrearward window-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128 and 130 arepositioned to engage the window-movement-plane guide surface portion 126a (FIG. 2). The second forward and rearward window-movement-plane guidesurface engagers 132 (FIG. 11) and 134 (FIG. 11) are positioned toengage the window-movement-plane guide surface portion 126 b (FIG. 2). Asectional view illustrating the engagement of the first forward andrearward window-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128 and 130 withthe window-movement-plane guide surface portion 126 a on the rail 16 ais shown in FIG. 12.

Referring to FIG. 11, by having two or more longitudinally spacedwindow-movement-plane guide surface engagers, (ie. the forwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 128 or 132 and the rearwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager 130 or 134), the overallsurface area of contact between the lifter plate 20 and thewindow-movement-plane guide surface 126 (FIG. 2) is lower than would benecessary for stability if the lifter plate 20 only had a singlewindow-movement-plane guide surface engager. Having a reduced area ofcontact between the lifter plate 20 and the window-movement-plane guidesurface 126 reduces the frictional drag on the lifter plate 20 duringits travel up and down the rails 16 a and 16 b. The advantages ofreducing frictional drag on the lifter plate 20 have been explainedabove in relation to the engagement with the lateral guide surfaceengagers 98, 99, 100 and 101 (FIG. 11).

Similarly, by having two or more laterally spaced window-movement-planeguide surface engagers, (ie. a set comprising a left sidewindow-movement-plane guide surface engager and a right sidewindow-movement-plane guide surface engager), the overall surface areaof contact between the lifter plate 20 and the window-movement-planeguide surface 126 is lower than would be necessary for stability if thelifter plate 20 only had a single window-movement-plane guide surfaceengager.

Thus, it is particularly advantageous with respect to reduced surfacearea of contact to have two laterally spaced forwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128 and 132 (FIG. 11), andtwo laterally spaced rearward window-movement-plane guide surfaceengagers 130 and 134 that are longitudinally spaced from the forwardwindow-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128 and 132.

A first forward window-movement-plane guide surface engager biasingmember 136, a first rearward window-movement-plane guide surface engagerbiasing member 138, a second forward window-movement-plane guide surfaceengager biasing member 140 and a second rearward window-movement-planeguide surface engager biasing member 142 may be provided to bias thewindow-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128, 130, 132 and 134towards the window-movement-plane guide surface 126. By providing thebiasing members 136, 138, 140 and 142, the lifter plate 20 is capable ofaccommodating some forces urging it into the window-movement-plane guidesurface 126 without binding on the window-movement-plane guide surface126.

If forces acting on the lifter plate 20 cause a selected degree offlexion in any of the window-movement-plane guide surface engagerbiasing members 136, 138, 140 or 142, the lifter plate 20 includessecondary window-movement-plane guide surface engagers 144, 146, 148 and150 which engage the window-movement-plane guide surface 126 (FIG. 2),thereby preventing further flexion of the associatedwindow-movement-plane guide surface engager biasing member 136, 138, 140or 142. FIG. 12 shows the secondary window-movement-plane guide surfaceengagers 144 and 146 in particular. Referring to FIG. 11, in embodimentswherein the secondary window-movement-plane guide surface engagers 144,146, 148 and 150 are provided, it is appropriate to refer to thewindow-movement-plane guide surface engagers 128, 130, 132 and 134 asprimary window-movement-plane guide surface engagers.

The secondary window-movement-plane guide surface engagers 144, 146, 148and 150 are configured to each have a relatively small contact surfacearea, so that the frictional drag on the lifter plate 20 is not undulyincreased as a result of their engagement with the window-movement-planeguide surface 126 (FIG. 2).

It will be noted that, although the lifter plate 20 is ‘captured’laterally by the opposing lateral guide surfaces 102 and 104 (FIG. 10),it is not ‘captured’, however, by opposing window-movement-planesurfaces. The lifter plate 20 is nonetheless prevented from movementrelative to the window-movement plane (ie. towards or away from thewindow-movement plane) by virtue of its connection to the vehicle window11, which itself is prevented from movement relative to thewindow-movement-plane by the glass run channels, one of which is shownat 151 in FIG. 1.

Reference is made to FIG. 14. The lifter plate 20 includes a first cablemount 152 and a second cable mount 154 for receiving the ends of thecables 14 a and 14 c, which have ferrules 156 and 158 mounted thereonrespectively. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the cable mount 152includes an optional cable end biasing member 160, that acts to cushionthe engagement between the drive cables 14 a and 14 c and the lifterplate 20 to reduce the likelihood of damage to the lifter plate 20during sudden changes in forces acting thereon by the cables 14 a and 14c. For example, when the window regulator assembly 10 (FIG. 1) isactuated, there will be an initial jerk by one of the cables 14 a or 14c on the lifter plate 20, and an initial resistive force acting on thelifter plate 20 by the other of the cables 14 a or 14 c. The cable endbiasing member 160 absorbs at least some of the energy of the jerk toinhibit damage to the lifter plate 20. It will be noted that this singlecable end biasing member 160 absorbs jerk energy regardless of whetherthe motive jerk is exerted by the cable 14 c or whether the motive jerkis exerted by the cable 14 a. Additionally, the biasing member 160,which may be, for example, a compression spring, acts to maintain theassociated cable 14 c in tension during upward movement of the window 11

Referring to FIG. 10, the cable mounts 152 and 154 are both positionedlaterally between the first set of lateral guide surface engagers 98 and99 and the second set of lateral guide surface engagers 100 and 101,which reduces any net moments exerted on the lifter plate 20 by thecables 14 a and 14 c in the lateral/longitudinal plane, thereby reducingfrictional drag on the lifter plate 20 during movement of the lifterplate 20 on the rails 16 a and 16 b.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, it is optionally possible forthe cable mounts 152 and 154 to in line with each other, in the sensethat they have the same lateral position as each other. In other words,they both have the same distance to the first set of lateral guidesurface engagers 98 and 99. It will be noted that this does notnecessarily mean that they are laterally centered between the first andsecond sets of lateral guide surface engagers 98 and 99, and 100 and101. It means instead that if the first cable mount 152 is 1 inch, as anexample, from the first set of lateral guide surface engagers 98 and 99,then the second cable mount 154 is also 1 inch from the first set oflateral guide surface engagers 98 and 99. As a result of their havingthe same lateral position, the net moment being exerted on the lifterplate 20 by the cables 14 a and 14 c during movement of the lifter plate20 is relatively lower than embodiments wherein the first and secondcable mounts 152 and 154 occupy different lateral positions than eachother.

In a more particularly preferred embodiment, the cable mounts 152 and154 are both centered between the first and second sets of lateral guidesurface engagers 98 and 99, and 100 and 101. By centering both cablemounts 152 and 154 in this way, the net moment caused by the cables 14 aand 14 c on the lifter plate 20 in the lateral/longitudinal plane istheoretically zero. In practice the net moment in this more particularlypreferred embodiment may be some non-zero value due to tolerances andthe like, however, it is expected that it is a relatively small valuerelative to other optional embodiments described above.

Referring to FIGS. 13 a and 13 b, the second lifter plate 22 may besimilar to the first lifter plate 20, with some difference optionallybeing present in the configuration of the cable mounts, shown at 161 and162. A spring (not shown) is optionally provided in the cable mount 161to provide similar function (eg. tensioning of the cable 14 c).

Reference is made to FIG. 16, which shows an alternative lifter plate163 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Thelifter plate 163 may be similar to the lifter plates 20 and 22 (FIGS. 9a and 13 a), except that the lifter plate 163 is particularly configuredfor use with a rear window of a vehicle. To this end, the lifter plate163 includes additional features, such as a second window pass-throughmember 76 which passes through a second locking aperture 78 on thevehicle window 11. The lifter plate 163 may be similar to two lifterplates 20 (or 22) connected together for connecting to two lockingapertures 78 that are proximate to each other on the vehicle window 11,thereby strengthening the connection to the vehicle window 11. However,the lifter plate 163 is configured to engage only one set of guiderails. Additionally, the side walls of the lifter plate 163, shown at164 and 166, define a channel 168 that has a curved bottom face 170 soas to be configured to mate with the curved bottom edge 172 of amounting ear 174 on the vehicle window 11 that contains the two lockingapertures 78. By configuring the channel 168 to mate with the mountingear 174, the lifter plate 163 is more easily adjusted to the correctposition to align the window pass through members 76 with the lockingapertures 78 of the vehicle window 11.

Reference is made to FIG. 17, which shows a wiring harness clip 176 onthe carrier 15 that may be used to hold a wiring harness, shown at 178.The wiring harness 178 may be sheathed to facilitate its handling. Thewiring harness clip 176 is shown in more detail in FIG. 18. The wiringharness clip 176 includes a first clip element 180, a second clipelement 182, a wiring harness guide 184, a first clip element guard 186and a second clip element guard 188. Referring to FIG. 19, the first andsecond clip elements 180 and 182 are spaced from each other and aretogether configured to retain the wiring harness 178 in a longitudinalorientation along a longitudinal axis Alongwh. In particular, the firstand second clip elements 180 and 182, along with the wiring harnessguide 184, together define a longitudinally oriented wiring harnessretaining aperture 190, shown in FIG. 20, and in this way define thelongitudinal axis Alongwh.

The first and second clip elements 180 and 182 also define an inlet 192,shown in FIG. 19. More particularly, the inlet 190 is defined by a firstclip element inlet defining surface 194 and a second clip element inletdefining surface 196. The first and second clip element inlet definingsurfaces 194 and 196 are parallel and are spaced from each other by aselected distance Din, which may be smaller by a selected amount thanthe diameter of the wiring harness 178, shown at Dwh (FIG. 20).Additionally, the first and second clip element inlet defining surfaces194 and 196 are positioned at a selected non-zero angle ANin (FIG. 19)from the longitudinal axis Alongwh.

The first and second clip elements 180 and 182 further include lead-insurfaces 198 and 200 respectively (best seen in FIG. 20), each of whichextends at a selected angle ANlead from the surface of the carrier 15 tofacilitate entry of the wiring harness 178 into the inlet 192 (FIG. 19).

The first and second clip elements 180 and 182 include portions that actas first and second clip element biasing members 202 and 204respectively to urge the first and second clip elements 180 and 182towards a closed position around the wiring harness 178 (FIG. 20). Whenthe wiring harness 178 is introduced into the inlet 192, as shown inFIG. 21, the engagement with the lead-in surfaces 198 and 200 pushes thefirst and second clip elements 180 and 182 apart against the biasingmembers 202 and 204. Once the wiring harness 178 is inserted and iscaptured by the first and second clip elements 180 and 182 (see FIG. 22)it can be rotated so that it is held in alignment with the longitudinalaxis Alongwh by the wiring harness guide 184. The guide 184 includes afirst longitudinally extending guide element 206 and a secondlongitudinally extending guide element 208 that is spaced from the firstlongitudinally extending guide element 206. The guide elements 206 and208 may be elongate bars that engage the wiring harness 178 (see FIG.20) along their lengths, at selected points on the perimeter of thewiring harness 178 so as to provided a selected degree of resistance totwisting of the wiring harness 178 out of its longitudinal alignment,once it is in place.

The distance between the first and second clip elements 180 and 182 in atransverse direction (see FIG. 20) is shown at Dtrans and issufficiently small to inhibit the inadvertent removal of the wiringharness 178 when it is aligned in a longitudinal direction (see FIG.23). In particular, the distance Dtrans is smaller than the distanceDin, which means that it is relatively easier to introduce the wiringharness 178 into the inlet 192 and relatively harder to remove aninstalled wiring harness 178.

The capture surfaces of the first and second clip elements 180 and 182include lateral capture surfaces 210 and 212 which resist lateralmovement of the wiring harness 178, and window-movement-plane capturesurfaces 214 and 216, which resist direct withdrawal of the wiringharness 178 away from the carrier 15. The window-movement-plane capturesurfaces 214 and 216 each extend at a selected angle ANcapt relative tothe carrier 15. The angle ANcapt is selected so that a force in adirection perpendicular to the plane of the carrier 15, which would urgedirect withdrawal of the wiring harness 178 from the wiring harness clip176, results in a relatively low moment acting on the first and secondclip elements 180 and 182 to urge them apart against the biasing members202 and 204.

The first and second clip element guards 186 and 188 are positioned toinhibit damage to the first and second clip elements 180 and 182 duringinstallation and use of the wiring harness clip 176.

The wiring harness clip 176 may be configured to be manufactured easilyusing from a suitable polymeric material, using an injection moldingprocess with a simple mold plate arrangement requiring two mold plates.Thus, the manufacture of the wiring harness clip 176 can be effectedrelatively inexpensively.

The wiring harness clip 176 may be mounted to the carrier 15 (FIG. 17)by any suitable means, such as by a suitable adhesive, or by thermallyjoining it to the carrier 15.

It will be appreciated that the wiring harness clip 176 may be used toretain wiring harnesses 178 in areas of the vehicle outside the doorassembly (not shown). For example, wiring harnesses 176 are generallyrun along paths throughout the vehicle to provide power to numerouselements, including, for example, the vehicle taillights. The wiringharness clip 176 could also be used in other structures, such astrailers.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows another feature that isintegrally provided in the carrier 15, in accordance with another aspectof the present invention. The carrier 15 includes first and secondintegral down stops 218 and 220, which provide lower travel limits forthe lifter plates 20 and 22 respectively. The down stop 220 is shown infurther detail in FIG. 24.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows yet another feature that isintegrally provided in the carrier 15, in accordance with another aspectof the present invention. The carrier 15 includes a co-molded carrierseal, shown at 222, which is used to seal the carrier 15 with otherelements of a door assembly (not shown). The carrier seal 222 may bemade from any suitable material, such as a suitably soft compressiblepolymeric material. Co-molding the carrier seal 222 with the carrierbody 24 reduces the cost of manufacture of the carrier 15, and mayeliminate the need for a separate item (ie. a carrier seal) to bewarehoused, and eliminates a manufacturing step in the manufacture ofthe carrier 15 (ie. the mounting of a carrier seal to the carrier body).

Reference is made to FIG. 25, which shows a motor housing seal 224,which may additionally be co-molded with the carrier body 24, to similaradvantage to the co-molding of the carrier seal 222.

Reference is made to FIG. 26, which shows an inside door handle mount226 that is integral with the carrier body. To provide the inside doorhandle mount 226, a raw inside door handle mount is molded along withthe carrier body 24. Pivot pin receiving apertures 228 are then machinedor otherwise formed in the raw inside door handle mount to receive apivot pin 230 for an inside door handle 232. Molding the raw inside doorhandle mount and then machining or otherwise forming the pivot pinreceiving apertures 228 may be a relatively inexpensive way of providingthe inside door handle mount 226, compared with providing a separatedoor handle mount that is then mounted to the carrier 15.

A door latch operator cable 234 may be connected between the door handle232 and a door latch mechanism 236 (see FIG. 17). Referring to FIG. 27,the carrier 15 includes two latch mounts 238 and 240 on a latchpresenter 242 that may be integrally connected with the carrier 15. Thetwo latch mounts 238 and 240 help retain the latch in place on thecarrier 15 until it is installed into the door assembly (not shown).

Reference is made to FIG. 28, which shows an alternative down stopsystem 250 for use with a window regulator assembly 252. The windowregulator assembly 252 may be similar to the window regulator assembly10 (FIG. 1) except that it includes a ferrule 254 on the third cable 14c, a carrier 256 instead of the carrier 15 (FIG. 1), and a first lifterplate 258 instead of the first lifter plate 20 (FIG. 1). The ferrule 254is positioned at a selected position on the third cable 14 c. Thecarrier 256 may be similar to the carrier 15 (FIG. 1) except that thecarrier 256 includes a down stop 260 that is positioned to stop theferrule 254 on the third cable 14 c when the lifter plates 20 and 22have traveled downwards to a selected position on the rails 16 and 18.Referring to FIG. 29, the down stop 260 may include a down stop body 262that is integrally connected with the carrier 256, and may furtherinclude a resilient, compressible bumper 264 that may be inserted into areceiving aperture 266 in the down stop body 262. The bumper 264 and thedown stop body 262 are slotted to permit the introduction of the cable14 c therein during installation of the cable 14 c on the carrier 256.

As a result of associating the down stop system 250 with one of thecables 14 a, 14 b or 14 c (in the embodiment shown in FIG. 28 it iscable 14 c), the first lifter plate 20 is not directly involved instopping its own downward travel. As a result, a source of stress isremoved from the lifter plate 258. By contrast, in some window regulatorassemblies that incorporate a down stop that directly engages the lifterplate, the lifter plate can see increased stresses and can incurtwisting. The twisting and other reactions of the lifter plate to thestresses during direct engagement with a down stop can contribute to BSRassociated with the window regulator assembly. By stopping the downwardtravel of the lifter plate 258 using the ferrule 254 and the third cable14 c (ie. by achieving it without direct engagement between the lifterplate 258 and a down stop), the stresses on the lifter plate 20 arereduced, which, in turn, reduces a potential source of BSR for thewindow regulator assembly 252.

It will be understood that the ferrule 254 is but one example of a downstop engagement member that can be connected to the cable 14 c forengagement with the down stop 260.

The lifter plate 258 itself may be similar to the lifter plate 20(FIG. 1) except that the lifter plate 258 does not require bumpers to beincorporated therein, since it no longer directly engages the down stop260.

Reference is made to FIG. 1. During operation of the window regulatorsystem 10, the window 11 may either be moved upwards or downwards.During movement of the window upwards and particularly when the window11 reaches its uppermost position, the cable 14 a is under tension,while the cable 14 b is relatively slack. This is because the drivemotor cable drum, shown at 268, rotates in a direction which winds upthe cable 14 a thereon, and which lets out cable 14 b therefrom. Whenthis occurs, the slackness in the cable 14 b increases the risk that itwill leave the bearing surface shown at 269 (see FIG. 24) at the bottomof the window regulator assembly 10. Similarly, when the window 11 movesdownwards and in particular when the window 11 bottoms out, there istension in the cable 14 b and relative slackness in the cable 14 a,which increases the risk that the cable 14 a will leave its associatedpulley assembly 28. In order to reduce the risk of the cables 14 a and14 b from leaving their respective pulley 34 and bearing surface 269,springs, such as the spring 160 shown in FIG. 14 may be incorporatedinto the connection between the cables 14 a and 14 c and theirrespective lifter plates 20 and 22, to keep the cables 14 a and 14 c intension at all times. An alternative structure for reducing thelikelihood of the cables 14 a and 14 b from leaving the pulley 34 andbearing surface 269 is the tensioner shown at 270 in FIG. 30.

The tensioner 270 is pivotally mounted to the carrier, shown at 272,about a pivot axis Atens. The tensioner 270 includes a tensioner body274 with a first cable engagement member 276 and a second cableengagement member 278, which engage first and second lengths of cable,namely the cables 14 a and 14 b respectively (see FIG. 31).

The tensioner 270 may be configured so that no matter what position itis in, it causes some bending in both of the cables 14 a and 14 b. Inthis way, regardless of how much tension there is in either of thecables 14 a and 14 b, the cable 14 a or 14 b with the greater amount oftension applies a force to the respective cable engagement member 276 or278, which causes the tensioner 270 to pivot, thereby urging the othercable engagement member 276 or 278 into the other cable 14 a or 14 b,thereby increasing the tension in that other cable 14 a or 14 b, untilequilibrium is reached. Thus, the tensions in the cables 14 a and 14 bare always maintained generally in equilibrium and are always positive(ie. non-zero), thereby reducing the likelihood of a cable 14 a or 14 bleaving its respective pulley 34 or bearing surface 269.

As a result of the tensioner 270, springs, such as the spring 160 shownin FIG. 14, are not needed to mount the ends of the cables 14 a, 14 b or14 c to the lifter plates 22 and 20. By eliminating the springs, such asthe spring 160, the height of the lifter plates 20 and 22 can bereduced, which shortens the overall height of the window regulatorassembly required to provide a given amount of travel to the vehiclewindow 11.

Referring to FIG. 30, the first cable engagement member 276 isconfigured to transmit force from the cable 14 a along a first momentarm D1 relative to the pivot axis Atens, and is configured to transmitforce from the cable 14 b along a second moment arm D2 relative to thepivot axis Atens. The first and second moment arms D1 and D2 may beapproximately equal to each other. As a result, the force that isdeveloped at the first cable engagement member 276 has the samemagnitude as the force developed at the second cable engagement member278. Accordingly, the tension developed in the first cable 14 a isapproximately the same as the tension developed in the second cable 14b. It will be appreciated that the first and second cable engagementmembers 276 and 278 may be configured to provide individually uniquemoment arms relative to the pivot axis Atens, thereby providingdifferent tensions in the cables 14 a and 14 b.

Another advantage to eliminating the need for springs when mounting theends of the cables 14 a and 14 b to the lifter plates 20 and 22, is thatthe three cables 14 a, 14 b and 14 c can be replaced by a single cable280 (see FIG. 32) that has both of its ends connected to the drive motorcable drum 262. The cable 280 may include a first ferrule 282 and asecond ferrule 283, which are mounted at first and second selectedpositions along the length of the cable 280 for receipt in first andsecond ferrule receptacles 284 and 285 in the lifter plates shown at 286and 288 (FIG. 32). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32, the first cableengagement member 276 on the tensioner 270 engages a first length ofcable, namely the portion 280 a of the cable 280 between the drive motor12 and the first lifter plate 286, and the second cable engagementmember 278 on the tensioner 270 engages a second length of cable, namelythe portion 280 b of the cable 280 between the drive motor 12 and thesecond lifter plate 288.

The cable 280 may be installed in the lifter plates 286 and 288 in anysuitable way. An exemplary installation of the cable 280 in the lifterplate 286 is illustrated in FIGS. 34, 35 and 36. A user slides the cable280 into the groove shown at 294 in FIG. 33, so that the cable ispositioned as shown in FIG. 35. The cable 280 is then advanced (ie.moved in the direction of arrow ADV) so that the ferrule 282 passesthrough the aperture shown at 296 in FIG. 36. The ferrule 282 can thenbe moved into position in the ferrule receptacle 284 into the positionshown in FIG. 34. The ferrule 282 may be held in the ferrule receptacle284 by means of a press fit 284 or by some other suitable means.Alternatively the ferrule 282 may remain in the ferrule receptacle 284simply by means of the orientation of the cable 280 during use. Thecable 280 may be installed in the lifter plate 288 in the same way as itis installed in the lifter plate 286.

By using a single cable 280 (FIG. 32) instead of three separate cables14 a, 14 b and 14 c (FIG. 1), the amount of ‘tolerance stack-up’ isreduced in the window regulator system shown at 290 (FIG. 32), relativeto a three-cable system because each cable represents a potential sourceof dimensional error.

A three-cable system, if not assembled and manufactured properly, canexhibit bias in the sense that the two lifter plates may not be alignedcorrectly in the vertical positions on their respective rails. As aresult, the vehicle window can chutter as it is moved. Because asingle-cable window regulator system, such as the window regulatorsystem 290, has reduced tolerance stack-up, there is a reducedlikelihood of the lifter plates being misaligned with each otherheight-wise and so the likelihood of chutter during movement of thevehicle window is reduced.

Reference is made to FIG. 37, which shows a lifter plate 298, with adifferent configuration for lateral guide surface engagers, shown at 300and a different configuration for lateral guide surface engager biasingmembers, shown at 302, in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention.

While the above description constitutes a plurality of embodiments ofthe present invention, it will be appreciated that the present inventionis susceptible to further modification and change without departing fromthe fair meaning of the accompanying claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A lifter plate, comprising: a lifter platebody including a first side wall and a second side wall configured toreceive a vehicle window pane between the first side wall and the secondside wall; a window holding member positionable in a locking position toprevent withdrawal of the vehicle window pane from between the first andsecond side walls, wherein the window holding member is a windowpass-through member configured to pass through a locking aperture of thevehicle window pane; a locking member positioned to prevent movement ofthe window holding member out of the locking position in the event of aforce urging the withdrawal of the vehicle window pane from betweenfirst and second side walls; and a biasing member having a resistance toflexion by the vehicle window pane and positioned to bias the windowholding member towards the locking position, wherein the window holdingmember is movable against the biasing member out of the locking positionby the vehicle window pane during insertion of the vehicle window panebetween the first and second side walls, and the window holding memberis biased by the biasing member to return to the locking position bypassing through the locking aperture of the vehicle window pane, thelocking member prevention of the movement of the window holding memberout of the locking position is independent of the resistance to flexionof the biasing member, and the locking member includes a free endvertical limit surface that is vertically aligned with a free end of thewindow holding member and positioned to directly contact the free end tolimit upward movement of the free end.
 2. A lifter plate as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the window holding member has a connected end, whereinthe connected end is connected to the first side wall.
 3. A lifter plateas claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking member includes a connectedend vertical limit surface that is vertically aligned with the connectedend of the window holding member, and the connected end vertical limitsurface is positioned to engage the connected end of the window holdingmember to limit upward movement of the window holding member.
 4. Alifter plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking member includesa side wall horizontal limit surface horizontally aligned with andconfigured to engage a corresponding horizontal limit surface of thewindow holding member to limit horizontal movement of the window holdingmember in the event of an upward force on the vehicle window pane heldin the lifter plate.
 5. A lifter plate as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe biasing member is integral with the window holding member and withthe first side wall.
 6. A lifter plate as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe window holding member has a deflection surface that is slopedtowards a free end.
 7. A lifter plate, comprising: a lifter plate bodyincluding a first side wall and a second side wall configured to receivea vehicle window pane between the first side wall and the second sidewall; a window holding member positionable in a locking position toprevent withdrawal of the vehicle window pane from between the first andsecond side walls, wherein the window holding member is a windowpass-through member configured to pass through a locking aperture of thevehicle window pane; a locking member positioned to prevent movement ofthe window holding member out of the locking position in the event of aforce urging the withdrawal of the vehicle window pane from betweenfirst and second side walls; and a biasing member having a resistance toflexion by the vehicle window pane and positioned to bias the windowholding member towards the locking position, wherein the window holdingmember is movable against the biasing member out of the locking positionby the vehicle window pane during insertion of the vehicle window panebetween the first and second side walls, the window holding member isbiased by the biasing member to return to the locking position bypassing through the locking aperture of the vehicle window pane, theresistance to flexion of the biasing member is lower than would berequired if the biasing member resistance to flexion was used withoutthe locking member to perform both the biasing of the window holdingmember towards the locking position and the prevention of movement ofthe window holding member out of the locking position in the event of aforce urging the withdrawal of the vehicle window pane, and the lockingmember includes a free end vertical limit surface that is verticallyaligned with a free end of the window holding member and positioned todirectly contact the free end to limit upward movement of the free end.8. A lifter plate as claimed in claim 7, wherein the window holdingmember has a connected end, wherein the connected end is connected tothe first side wall.
 9. A lifter plate as claimed in claim 8, whereinthe locking member includes a connected end vertical limit surface thatis vertically aligned with the connected end of the window holdingmember, and the connected end vertical limit surface is positioned toengage the connected end of the window holding member to limit upwardmovement of the window holding member.
 10. A lifter plate as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the locking member includes a side wall horizontallimit surface horizontally aligned with and configured to engage acorresponding horizontal limit surface of the window holding member tolimit horizontal movement of the window holding member in the event ofan upward force on the vehicle window pane held in the lifter plate. 11.A lifter plate as claimed in claim 7, wherein the biasing member isintegral with the window holding member and with the first side wall.12. A lifter plate as claimed in claim 7, wherein the window holdingmember has a deflection surface that is sloped towards a free end.